OUR FLEET

SAILING VESSEL FRITHA

Launched in 1986 in New Zealand and named for the heroine in Paul Gallico’s book, The Snow Goose, the brigantine Fritha was built by traditional methods to unparalleled standards of excellence in materials and craftsmanship. The Fritha is made of New Zealand kauri wood, is 74’ LOA with a 15’ breadth and is traditionally rigged as a brigantine.

Students learn how to both sail Fritha and manage her in their Sail and Advanced Sail Classes, respectively. Fritha’s home waters of Southern New England offer some of the most beautiful scenery and best sailing in the world. Interesting ports or anchorages such as Buzzard’s Bay, the Elizabeth Islands, Vineyard Sound, Nantucket Sound and more are only a few hours’ sail from Fritha’s home port of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Of course, we can arrange for Fritha to meet you in places outside of her home waters as well. Fritha then moves south to her adopted winter home of Beaufort, NC where she has extensive maintenance and repair conducted to ensure that she is ready as Northeast Maritime Institute’s vessel ambassador visiting ports and introducing NMI and the College of Maritime Science to people throughout the east coast.

MOTOR VESSEL NAVIGATOR

Navigator is a Breaux Bay Craft hull number 1554, a 65x18 aluminum passenger vessel with a 3’11” draft serves as viable training platform for NMI College of Maritime Science students. The vessel was built in 1982 and transformed into a pleasure craft in the early 2000’s. Navigator has twin 400 HP 1015 Deutz Diesels with an operating speed of 10 knots and topping out at 23 knots. It has recently received a complete navigational bridge renovation by NMI students and faculty. Navigator is used as a hands-on training platform operating out of NMI’s waterfront marina and educational facilities at the Marina at Slocum Cove on the Fairhaven/New Bedford Harbor.

Students learn mooring and anchoring procedures, line handling, ship handling, navigation and bridge team management using Navigator as a true work boat operation. Navigator operates within the harbor and in Buzzards Bay conducting drills and assessments.

MOTOR LAUNCH KEHOE

The Motor Whaleboat Kehoe is a 26-foot fiberglass motor whaleboat launch built for the US Navy in 1987. It served aboard the USS Austin (LPD-4) from 1987 to 2006. Upon decommissioning in 2006 it was sold to a civilian harbor launch operator in Connecticut. NMI acquired the M/L Kehoe in the summer of 2018 and named it in honor of BMCS Jules Kehoe USCG ret. a nautical science instructor at the College of Maritime Science. It is used today to train student mariners in small vessel handling and operations out of NMI’s waterfront marina and educational facilities at the Marina at Slocum Cove on the Fairhaven/New Bedford Harbor.

GRAVITY DAVIT LIFEBOAT LAUNCH

Our 30-foot Gravity Davit Launch is a fiber glass open motor lifeboat that operates out of New Bedford harbor. The lifeboat launch is used to certify merchant mariners in both the traditional Lifeboatman certifications requirements for United States Merchant Mariners as well as it is in full compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training and Certification for Watchkeepers and Seafarers, 1978, as amended. Students discover the practices of safely launching and retrieving the lifeboat through several days of consistent practices.